1. (n.) A long piece of wood; a stick; the long handle of an instrument or weapon; a pole or stick, used for many purposes; as, a surveyor's staff; the staff of a spear or pike.

2. (n.) A stick carried in the hand for support or defense by a person walking; hence, a support; that which props or upholds.

3. (n.) A pole, stick, or wand borne as an ensign of authority; a badge of office; as, a constable's staff.

4. (n.) A pole upon which a flag is supported and displayed.

5. (n.) The round of a ladder.

6. (n.) A series of verses so disposed that, when it is concluded, the same order begins again; a stanza; a stave.

7. (n.) The five lines and the spaces on which music is written; -- formerly called stave.

8. (n.) An arbor, as of a wheel or a pinion of a watch.

9. (n.) The grooved director for the gorget, or knife, used in cutting for stone in the bladder.

10. (n.) An establishment of officers in various departments attached to an army, to a section of an army, or to the commander of an army. The general's staff consists of those officers about his person who are employed in carrying his commands into execution. See Etat Major.

11. (n.) Hence: A body of assistants serving to carry into effect the plans of a superintendent or manager; as, the staff of a newspaper.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

STAFF

staf: Many Hebrew terms are represented by this word. The "staves" of the ark translate the word badh, literally, "a part," hence, branch, bar, etc. (Exodus 25:13, 14, 15, 27, 28, etc.). Other words, as matteh, maqqel, shebhet, used of the staff in the hand, the shepherd's staff, figuratively, "staff of bread" (matteh, Ezekiel 4:16; Ezekiel 5:16; Ezekiel 14:13), as indispensable for support of life, are dealt with under ROD (which see). The New Testament word is rhabdos (Matthew 10:10 parallel Luke 9:3Hebrews 11:21).

The Church Staff... THE CHURCH STAFF. It is only of recent years that the Congregational and Presbyterian churches have come to include in the regular .../.../griswold/sixty years with plymouth church/the church staff.htm

Of the Staff of the Egyptians.... Prolegomena. Chapter VIII. Of the Staff of the Egyptians. For Elisha, himself one of them, teaches that the same men used to carry .../.../cassian/the works of john cassian /chapter viii of the staff.htm

Thy Rod and Thy Staff they Comfort Me.... VIII. THY ROD AND THY STAFF THEY COMFORT ME. It is already plain to us that the sorrows and sufferings of the present life are, without .../...//christianbookshelf.org/callan/the shepherd of my soul/viii thy rod and thy.htm

Unexpected Orders... When sufficient strength was recovered to enable her to undertake an appointment under the eye of her doctor, she was promoted to the rank of Staff-Captain and .../.../carpenter/the angel adjutant of twice born men/xvi unexpected orders.htm

A Miracle Needing Effort... Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee .../.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a miracle needing effort.htm

A Cloud of Witnesses.... come. By faith Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. .../.../the expositors bible the epistle to the hebrews/chapter xiii a cloud of.htm

The Life of St. Christopher... Then went Christopher to this river, and made there his habitacle for him, and bare a great pole in his hand instead of a staff, by which he sustained him in .../.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/the life of st christopher.htm

The Secret of Success.... Then Elisha was sorely troubled, and he gave his staff to his servant, Gehazi, and made him run as fast as he could to the house of the Shunammite. .../.../the village pulpit volume ii trinity to advent/xlii the secret of success.htm

Staff (91 Occurrences)... 1. (n.) A long piece of wood; a stick; the long handle of an instrument or weapon; a pole or stick, used for many purposes; as, a surveyor's staff; the staff.../s/staff.htm - 38k

Elhanan (4 Occurrences)... And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan, the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear .../e/elhanan.htm - 10k

Grounded (5 Occurrences)... Version, margin "stay." "Grounded" is used in the sense of founded, based, fixed in (Isaiah 30:32), "and in every place where the grounded staff shall pass .../g/grounded.htm - 12k

Weaver's (5 Occurrences)... 1 Samuel 17:7 The staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield bearer went before him. .../w/weaver's.htm - 8k

Hebrews 9:4 having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which was a golden pot holding the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant;(See NIV)

Hebrews 11:21 By faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.(WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Revelation 11:1 And there was given to me a reed like a staff, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship in it.(DBY NAS RSV)

Genesis 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 38:18 He said, "What pledge will I give you?" She said, "Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand." He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 38:25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man, whose these are, I am with child." She also said, "Please discern whose are these-the signet, and the cords, and the staff."(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Genesis 47:31 He said, "Swear to me," and he swore to him. Israel bowed himself on the bed's head.(See NIV)

Genesis 49:10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.(WEB JPS ASV NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 4:2 And Jehovah said to him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A staff.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 4:4 And Jehovah said to Moses, Stretch out thy hand and take it by the tail and he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand --(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 4:17 And thou shalt take this staff in thy hand, with which thou shalt do the signs.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 4:20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them riding upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 7:9 When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, Do a miracle for yourselves, then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy staff and cast it before Pharaoh it will become a serpent.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 7:10 And Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and did so, as Jehovah had commanded; and Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh, and before his bondmen, and it became a serpent.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 7:12 they cast down every man his staff, and they became serpents; but Aaron's staff swallowed up their staves.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 7:15 Go unto Pharaoh in the morning behold, he will go out unto the water and take thy stand by the bank of the river in front of him; and take in thy hand the staff that was turned into a serpent.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 7:17 Thus saith Jehovah: In this shalt thou know that I am Jehovah behold, I will smite with the staff that is in my hand upon the water which is in the river, and it shall be turned into blood.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 7:19 And Jehovah said to Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy staff, and stretch out thy hand upon the waters of the Egyptians upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 7:20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as Jehovah had commanded; and he lifted up the staff, and smote the waters that were in the river before the eyes of Pharaoh, and before the eyes of his bondmen; and all the waters that were in the river were turned into blood.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 8:5 And Jehovah said to Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy hand with thy staff over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 8:16 And Jehovah said to Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy staff, and smite the dust of the earth, and it shall become gnats throughout the land of Egypt.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 8:17 And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and smote the dust of the earth, and there arose gnats on man and on beast: all the dust of the land became gnats throughout the land of Egypt.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 9:23 And Moses stretched out his staff toward the heavens, and Jehovah gave thunder and hail; and the fire ran along the ground; and Jehovah rained hail on the land of Egypt.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 10:13 And Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 12:11 This is how you shall eat it: with your waist girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh's Passover.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 14:16 And thou, lift thy staff, and stretch out thy hand over the sea, and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 17:5 And Jehovah said to Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel, and thy staff with which thou didst smite the river, take in thy hand, and go.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 17:9 And Moses said to Joshua, Choose us men, and go out, fight with Amalek; to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.(DBY NAS NIV)

Exodus 21:19 if he rises again and walks around with his staff, then he who struck him shall be cleared: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for his healing until he is thoroughly healed.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Exodus 21:20 And if a man strike his bondman or his handmaid with a staff, and he die under his hand, he shall certainly be avenged.(DBY)

Leviticus 26:26 When I break your staff of bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver your bread again by weight: and you shall eat, and not be satisfied.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Leviticus 27:32 All the tithe of the herds or the flocks, whatever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy to Yahweh.(See RSV)

Numbers 13:23 They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two; they brought also of the pomegranates, and of the figs.(WEB KJV ASV WBS YLT)

Numbers 17:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and take of them a staff, a staff for each father's house, of all their princes according to the houses of their fathers, twelve staves: thou shalt write each one's name upon his staff.(DBY NIV)

Numbers 17:3 And Aaron's name shalt thou write upon the staff of Levi; for one staff shall be for each head of their fathers' houses. (DBY NIV)

Numbers 17:5 And it shall come to pass, that the man whom I shall choose, his staff shall bud forth; and I will make to cease from before me the murmurings of the children of Israel, that they murmur against you.(DBY NIV)

Numbers 17:6 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him a staff, one staff for each prince according to their fathers' houses, twelve staves, and the staff of Aaron was among their staves.(DBY NIV)

Numbers 17:8 And it came to pass, when on the morrow Moses went into the tent of the testimony, behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and ripened almonds.(DBY NIV)

Numbers 17:9 And Moses brought out all the staves from before Jehovah to all the children of Israel, and they looked and took each one his staff.(DBY NIV)

Numbers 17:10 And Jehovah said to Moses, Bring Aaron's staff again before the testimony, to be kept as a token for the sons of rebellion, that thou mayest put an end to their murmurings before me, that they may not die.(DBY NIV)

Numbers 20:8 Take the staff, and gather the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, and it shall give its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock, and shalt give the assembly and their beasts drink.(DBY NIV)

Numbers 20:9 And Moses took the staff from before Jehovah, as he had commanded him.(DBY NIV)

Numbers 20:11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his staff smote the rock twice, and much water came out, and the assembly drank, and their beasts.(DBY NIV)

Numbers 22:27 The donkey saw the angel of Yahweh, and she lay down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV NIV)

Deuteronomy 23:13 and a nail thou hast on thy staff, and it hath been, in thy sitting without, that thou hast digged with it, and turned back, and covered thy filth;(YLT)

Judges 5:14 Those whose root is in Amalek came out of Ephraim, after you, Benjamin, among your peoples. Governors come down out of Machir. Those who handle the marshal's staff came out of Zebulun.(WEB JPS ASV DBY NAS RSV NIV)

Judges 6:21 Then the angel of Yahweh stretched out the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire went up out of the rock, and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of Yahweh departed out of his sight.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 14:27 But Jonathan had not heard when his father adjured the people; and he put forth the end of his staff which was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright.(DBY NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 14:43 And Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him and said, With the end of the staff which is in my hand I tasted a little honey, and behold, I must die!(DBY NAS RSV NIV)

1 Samuel 14:52 There was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any mighty man, or any valiant man, he took him to him.(See NAS)

1 Samuel 17:7 The staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and his shield bearer went before him. (WEB KJV ASV WBS)

1 Samuel 17:40 He took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd's bag which he had, even in his wallet. His sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV NIV)

2 Samuel 3:29 Let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread."(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)

2 Samuel 21:19 There was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite's brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS)

2 Samuel 23:7 But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear. They shall be utterly burned with fire in their place." (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT)

2 Samuel 23:21 He killed an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

2 Kings 4:29 Then he said to Gehazi, "Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand, and go your way. If you meet any man, don't greet him; and if anyone greets you, don't answer him again. Then lay my staff on the face of the child."(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Kings 4:31 Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff on the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Therefore he returned to meet him, and told him, saying, "The child has not awakened."(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

2 Kings 18:21 Now, behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt. If a man leans on it, it will go into his hand, and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust on him.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

1 Chronicles 11:23 He killed an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high; and in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS RSV)

1 Chronicles 20:5 There was again war with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.(WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS)

2 Chronicles 32:3 he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the springs which were outside of the city; and they helped him. (See NIV)

Psalms 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 105:16 Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. (KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Isaiah 3:1 For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Isaiah 9:4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Isaiah 10:15 Should an axe brag against him who chops with it? Should a saw exalt itself above him who saws with it? As if a rod should lift those who lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up someone who is not wood.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Isaiah 10:24 Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, says "My people who dwell in Zion, don't be afraid of the Assyrian, though he strike you with the rod, and lift up his staff against you, as Egypt did.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Isaiah 10:26 And the Lord of armies will be shaking a whip against him, as when he overcame Midian at the rock of Oreb: and his rod will be lifted up against them as it was against the Egyptians.(See NAS NIV)

Isaiah 14:5 Yahweh has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers,(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Isaiah 30:32 And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Isaiah 36:6 Behold, you trust in the staff of this bruised reed, even in Egypt, which if a man leans on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 48:17 All you who are around him, bemoan him, and all you who know his name; say, How is the strong staff broken, the beautiful rod!(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Jeremiah 51:59 The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now Seraiah was chief quartermaster.(See NIV)

Ezekiel 4:16 Moreover he said to me, Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem: and they shall eat bread by weight, and with fearfulness; and they shall drink water by measure, and in dismay:(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Ezekiel 5:16 when I shall send on them the evil arrows of famine, that are for destruction, which I will send to destroy you: and I will increase the famine on you, and will break your staff of bread;(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Ezekiel 12:14 I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.(See NIV)

Ezekiel 14:13 Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal;(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Ezekiel 29:6 All the inhabitants of Egypt will know that I am Yahweh, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Hosea 4:12 My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Micah 7:14 Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your heritage, who dwell by themselves in a forest, in the midst of fertile pasture land, let them feed; in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old.(WEB JPS RSV NIV)

Zechariah 8:4 Thus says Yahweh of Armies: "Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for very age.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Zechariah 11:10 I took my staff Favor, and cut it apart, that I might break my covenant that I had made with all the peoples.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Zechariah 11:14 Then I cut apart my other staff, even Union, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)